The Media Mirror: what's in today's Russian newspapers?

In the newspapers on Monday, experts say the Putin-Medvedev tandem will bring change. And what’s in the future for Russia and the West – another cold war or just another mild winter?

KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA writes that Russia’s foreign policy will not change much under Dmitry Medvedev. It will continue drawing flack from the West as usual. The paper quotes Vagif Gusseinov who is, in turn, quoting Steve Koen: the West will be satisfied only if at every floor at the headquarters of the Russian government there would be five Western advisors. Meanwhile, in domestic affairs the experts foresee a lot of progress in such spheres as the fight against corruption. Some analysts say that to beat corruption Russia needs to abandon state capitalism entirely. The paper says that it won’t happen overnight, but President-elect Medvedev has set the course towards a gradual wrapping up of that system.

NEZAVISIMAYA GAZETA writes that Dmitry Medvedev faces difficult choices and high risks in his diplomacy. Russia hasn’t abandoned its long-term intention to be friends with the West. But Russia wants to be a friend equal to all, and sometimes more equal than others. Meaning that now Russia sometimes wants and needs to influence the decision-making process in the partner countries. The goal is to switch from the parallel courses with the U.S. to a form of co-operation in the forming of a global agenda.

MOSKOVSKI KOMSOMOLETS writes that another round of 2+2 Russia-U.S. negotiations may finally yield a concrete result in the issue of U.S. missile defence in Europe – or may not. The paper quotes two different unnamed sources in the Russian Foreign ministry – one saying the American team is bringing its offers relayed orally at the previous meeting, in written form. Another source says Condoleezza Rice is visiting Moscow just to have a closer look at Dmitry Medvedev…

VREMYA NOVOSTEI has an interview with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Cramer. The rising star of American diplomacy, as the paper credits him, is worried about the amount of anti-American rhetoric in the Russian media. He says: the U.S. is a friend of Russia. We may have differences but these differences should not justify an opinion that the U.S. is an enemy of Russia.